The Cursed King
by oleanderedits
Summary: The parents of the Woodbury kids are taking a more active interest in what their children do around the prison, so Carol has to tell an actual story at storytime. She takes the events of the Quarry and Farm and attempts to weave them in an epic tale of love, magic, daring do, and the breaking of a curse most foul! (A Darlenngie Story; Sequel to Dragonslayer)
1. Chapter 1

Carol sighed and set down the book, looking around the small circle of children present for story time. She'd offered to do this not to actually tell stories, but to instead teach the children from Woodbury how to protect themselves. But the parents weren't leaving when they usually did - some of them were feeling guilty about not being more involved and decided sitting in would help - and the children weren't exactly engaged in the narrative of the book she'd picked out to 'read' to them. And it was sadly obvious no one really wanted to listen to it.

"Alright. I admit, this one's boring," she said with a soft laugh and a quirk of her lips while she leaned back and rubbed her hands down her thighs. "How about I tell you one I know, instead? It's short, but it might take a few days to get through."

A few of the faces perked up among both the kids and the adults. She nodded, happy to see that offering went over well, and clapped her hands, "Okay then. This story is about a messenger, a hunter, and a..." Carol thought for a second before deciding on Maggie's role, "Priestess."

 **…**

 _ _Long ago, in a kingdom far from here, there lived a Messenger and a Hunter. The two were deeply in love and could often be found in each other's company. But they did not last. Yes, this story has a sad beginning. For it begins not only when the Hunter broke up with the Messenger, but when their kingdom fell.__

 _ _The Hunter had a brother, you see. And that brother was a brash, protective man who could often be cruel to others. He was loyal to his blood and his blood alone and it made working with him difficult. Unlike the Hunter, he was a Knight. He'd undergone the trials the Hunter never bothered to and had passed them all.__

 _ _So while many didn't like him, they did rely on him and trusted him to aid the small kingdom in it's defenses against the monsters that lived outside it. He left one day on a very important mission with the Messenger and other Knights of the realm to go deep into the treacherous lands beyond the kingdom. It was a mission to bring back magical protections from a nearby kingdom that had fallen to the monsters only months before. The monsters were growing stronger so it was becoming more dangerous for the Messenger to travel alone as he was used to doing.__

 _ _The mission was a success, all things considered. They returned not only with the magical protections, but with the Queen's missing husband, who had been presumed dead when the other kingdom fell. He'd been on a mission of diplomacy to bring the two kingdoms closer when the monsters overtook it. What few survivors had escaped to the mountains and told the tale had made it clear that it was an impossible chance he'd return.__

 _ _But getting both the protections and the missing King had cost the life of the Hunter's Brother. He'd been left behind to cover the retreat. And while no one saw him fall, he had not returned with the others and did not return in the night, either. It was possible he was still alive, but it was a very slim chance.__

 _ _The Hunter insisted they return when he found out and the Messanger agreed. So did the King. They knew they owed the missing Knight that much. And so they left, with the aid of the Poet, back to the ruins of the fallen kingdom. And they searched for the Knight, but the only sign of his passing they could find was his hand. It'd been chopped right off!__

 **…**

"Oh, like Merle's?" One of the younger children asked and Carol had to pause for a second as she remembered that most of those here had probably known Merle fairly well. He'd been with Woodbury and been well-liked, even. From what she'd been told in the time since, at least.

After a moment, she smiled, "Yes. Like Merle's."

 **…**

 _ _The King, the Messenger, the Hunter, and the Poet, they searched everywhere they could for the Knight. But he was no where to be found. Instead, they stumbled upon what few people remained of the fallen kingdom. They had not seen the Knight, either. And they refused to leave the caves they'd taken to hiding in. Many of their people were too injured or too old to try and move and those that were able-bodied refused to abandon them. Sadly, they, too, were wiped out by the monsters only a few days later.__

 _ _As was the Kingdom in the mountains.__

 _ _The King and the Messenger and the Hunter and the Poet, they returned to their Kingdom in the mountains. But they returned too late. The monsters that had wiped out all the other nearby kingdoms had finally come for theirs. The four fought valiantly to protect and rescue those they could, but it was not enough. Only a handful survived that terrible night.__

 _ _Everyone was distraught, emotions strained. They buried those they could in the morning and the King had a fierce argument with the Advisor who'd been aiding the Queen in the King's absence. Families were broken. It was agreed that there was nothing left to do, but to leave and try to find another Kingdom that was still holding out against the monsters.__

 _ _That same night they left, they came across a waystation still in decent repair. A hermit Doctor lived there and maintained supplies for any travelers that came. The remains of the Kingdom were the first travelers he'd seen since the larger kingdom fell months before. He rejoiced and invited them to eat, drink, and sleep in the fine beds that hadn't been slept in for far too long.__

 _ _The Messenger sought out the Hunter that night. Went to him and tried to share the pain of their losses with him. But the Hunter pushed the Messenger away. His heart hurt too much. The Messenger understood what he was going through, for the Messenger had lost his own family when the monsters first appeared en masse. But the pain was too fresh for the Hunter, his brother only just gone. He didn't believe he deserved any measure of happiness. He hurt too much.__

 _ _So he pushed the Messenger away and even when morning came, he kept pushing. And as the group traveled he continued to push until the Messenger no longer came close enough for him to push. The Messenger had finally given up on the Hunter, because the Hunter had given up on himself.__

 _ _And then, they met the Priestess.__

 **…**

One of the parents cleared their throats. Alice. Mother of Jacob, the six year old who like to suck his thumb. She nodded her head to the side and mouthed 'dinner'.

Carol gave her a quick 'gotcha' face before looking at the kids, "Well, I think that's enough for today. We can pick this up again later. Time to get washed up and help with the food."

There were a few groans of protest, but after a few minutes the room was cleared out and Carol was left with her thoughts as she put the box of knives away with the books they'd pulled. She'd been setting Merle up to be a villain in her story because that's mostly what he'd been to the group. But to the kids of Woodbury, they'd only seen him as someone to look up to. Much like they'd seen the Governor up until his betrayal of his own people. If she ever continued the story, she'd have to keep that in mind.


	2. Chapter 2

The Messenger's feet pounded heavily into the broken stone of the highway that once connected a hundred kingdoms. Months after the monsters had overtaken the Valley Kingdoms, Mountain Kingdoms, and all but a few of the Farm Kingdoms, it was in terrible disrepair. In it's current state, the Messenger was the only one fleet of foot and agile of body enough to travel it so quickly without risk of injury. Even the Hunter could not keep up with him, swift though he was in the great wilds that separated many towns and villages.

He ran to bring word of the road ahead to all that remained of the people of the Mountain Lake Kingdom. His kingdom, though in truth it was a kingdom no more. Overrun barely a week before by the same monsters that had decimated the other lands. They could not claim it as a home any more, having abandoned it to its fate in an attempt to save what few people were left.

The Messenger was met by the Adviser as he came into view of those people. The King followed shortly after to join them, smiling sadly, "What news, Messenger?"

"It is as the Watchman has said. No life save fowl and fish and Frankenstein's fellows for miles," the Messenger answered, bowing to his lord, out of breath, while the Adviser shook his head.

"We should make haste to the Ancient Fort," the Adviser said, yet again. The King had yet to follow his advise and he found himself continually frustrated by the stubbornness of his liege. As the days passed, it showed more and more. The King took it in stride, of course.

He let out a long sigh and turned to watch his lady wife and their son, the young Prince, as they conferred with the Handmaiden and the Lady Knight. He shook his head, "I know this vexes you, Adviser, but if there is no life for miles and the Warriors of the Ancient Fort have not ventured out to find us, I truly think it likely there is no life there, either. And then where would we be? Inside cold stone, trapped perhaps, with creatures most terrible."

"My lords," the Messenger interrupted before another argument could begin between the two. "I do not presume to tell you how to lead us, but there is shelter we need not mistrust. A temple long since run afoul of the elements. A roof we could have. For the night or more, while the Hunter our meals procure."

The King looked to the Adviser and the two met each other's eyes with an understanding they had not shared for days. Walls and a roof, a place to rest for a time, were more immediately pressing. The King turned to smile at the Messenger, dismissing him while the Adviser moved off to inform the others.

From the shadows of the trees, the Hunter appeared, bowing low to his lord, "I heard the words of the Messenger. He's still far too loud when he uses his tongue."

"We are lucky he knows when to hold it," the King returned with easy humor that was as rare as gold now. The Hunter tilted his head to concede the point, but fell silent with the same swiftness as the Messenger's feet.

The King waited a moment more, watching the faces of his subjects and Lady Wife as the Adviser told them the short term plan. When the Queen turned her eyes on him with a soft sadness that spoke of relief, he gave her a smile in return. Then he turned to his loyal Hunter, "The Watchman has said only fish and fowl live and the Messenger has confirmed this. I know you have little luck when we are on the move, but do you believe you'll be able to provide for us if we stop for only a day?"

"No, my lord," the Hunter answered honestly, rising. "If we are to continue our journey, no matter where you decide to lead us, we will need to stop for at least three days. I must have time to wander far afield if we wish enough last us on the long walk to come. The Lady Knight was once a fisherman's daughter before she took up the sword. She can bring you the bounty of the rivers to feed you while I hunt the wilds alone."

"It is not safe to go so far without another to watch your back," the King replied, shaking his head. "You should take the Messenger, at the very least."

The Hunter denied this suggestion as calmly as he could, to hide the ache in his heart at the thought of spending more time alone with the man he loved and felt he did not deserve to have. "You need the Messenger with you, my lord. If trouble comes, he can find me with all the haste of the wind. But you need him to protect that house you will take up in should the monsters find their way to us. I will be safe. I have been hunting alone in these wilds since before they appeared and none can catch me off guard when I have only myself to watch for."

The King looked as though he would refute this, but with another glance to the few that remained, he closed his mouth and merely tilted his head in agreement. The Hunter was gone before another word could be said. He would find them when he had enough game to feed them for a few weeks. He did not let himself do as his liege had, he did not look at the others to remind himself of what was at stake if he failed. He would not fail.

And because he was not with them, he was not there to meet the Priestess as what remained of the Mountain Lake Kingdom arrived at the temple. She greeted them astride a horse, a lance of iron in her saddle and suspicion in her eyes.

"None have traveled to my shrine in weeks," she said, chin lifted and unimpressed by the sight of the motley group. "What cruelties do you intend to enact upon my charge?"

"None! No cruelties at all. We uh... I mean, we did not know it still had a carer... caretaker, my lady," the Messenger answered, words slipping awkwardly from him as his tongue became tied with the first strings of love that would come to bind the two. He did not recognize it, of course. Nor did she, for she had not yet been caught by those strings.

But she did trust the Messenger's words. He was the greatest of messengers not only for his fleet feet, but for his honest tongue. She lowered her lance and invited them into her temple with welcoming wave of her hand, "Then make yourselves at home for the night. You will have to speak with my father, the Healer, if you wish to stay longer. He resides at the heart of the temple and it is his prayers that keep us safe from the monsters which have plagued this land. You may have words with him tomorrow, after his prayers for the night are over."

The remainder of the Mountain Lake Kingdom rejoiced at their good fortune and that night they celebrated as they had once done what felt like a lifetime ago. The Messenger spent the night watching the Priestess and she, in turn, did her best to ignore the weight of the strings of fate that began to settle upon her shoulders.


End file.
